Assembling Pharma Resources to Tackle Diseases of Underserved Populations

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Drug Discovery
• Tropical Medicine

Background:

• Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) disproportionately impact impoverished populations worldwide.
• Research and development for NTDs have been historically underfunded due to limited commercial viability.
• Global health initiatives have increasingly focused on collaborative research for these diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the establishment and expansion of an informal research program.
• To contribute to the development of novel therapeutic agents for neglected tropical diseases.
• To foster collaboration within a major biopharmaceutical company for NTD research.

Main Methods:

• Documenting the program's inception and growth trajectory.
• Highlighting collaborative efforts between research institutions and a biopharmaceutical company.
• Focusing on the internal structure and operational evolution of the program.

Main Results:

• The program has successfully initiated and grown within AbbVie.
• It demonstrates a model for pharmaceutical companies to engage in NTD research.
• The initiative contributes to the pipeline of potential new therapies for underserved diseases.

Conclusions:

• An informal program within a biopharmaceutical company can effectively contribute to neglected tropical disease therapy development.
• Collaborative models are essential for addressing research gaps in global health.
• Sustained efforts are needed to overcome the historical neglect of these critical diseases.